GARY HETHERINGTON has made a plea to the Super League clubs to prioritise the interests of Rugby League as a whole if and when they are asked to make a decision to have 15 clubs in Super League next season.
As things currently stand, the top 14 graded clubs when the gradings are announced next month will comprise Super League in 2027.
London Broncos scored 11.65 points when the gradings for 2026 were announced last October, while the lowest score among the current Super League clubs was York Knights on 13.04, with Toulouse slightly ahead of them on 13.28.
Both York and Toulouse are likely to improve their score this year simply by being in Super League, with points awarded for positions in the league which will make it difficult for the Broncos to overtake them, despite their success in the Championship and 1895 Cup this season.
But the situation has now been complicated by the reaction of NRL Chairman Peter V’landys during the last week.
When V’landys met the Super League clubs in an online meeting just over a week ago, he didn’t appear to have insisted that the NRL’s offer to invest in Super League depended on the Broncos being brought into Super League as early as 2027 as opposed to 2028.
However, since then V’landys appears to have clarified his position and is now suggesting that a potential deal will depend on the Broncos entering Super League in 2027.
However, the Super League clubs retain the right to decide on how many clubs are in Super League, so if the Broncos are to be elevated into the competition from next season, the clubs will have agree to raise the number to 15, given that the Broncos would probably be the fifteenth club in the gradings this year.
Hetherington, who still owns a minority stake in the Broncos alongside majority owners Darren Lockyer and Grant Wechsel, is urging the clubs to make that decision, and to make it as soon as possible.
“We should see London as a strategic priority for Super League,” Hetherington told League Express.
“They should be prepared to put the game first and recognise that having London Broncos in Super League will deliver positive outcomes for the competition and, ultimately, a more valuable broadcast product.
“And it’s important for all the clubs that they should be able to make plans for next season without having to wait until October.”
Hetherington is keen to see an agreement between the RFL and the NRL come to fruition.
“A partnership with the NRL should be good for our game and for International Rugby League too,” he added.
“The NRL could maybe be persuaded to bring an Origin game here and also assist France. And I’d like the RFL to promote a strategic plan to further develop London and the south of England, Bristol, Midlands, Cumbria and Wales. With NRL support I’m sure all this is achievable and would significantly improve our profile, marketability and national media coverage. It’s all there to be done.”
The key question for the RFL, in the event of having 15 clubs in the competition, is how many fixtures there would be over how many weeks.
If every club were to play every other, it would imply 28 fixtures over 30 rounds with each club having two bye weeks, which would be difficult to fit into the season.
Alternatives include 26 fixtures in 28 weeks or 24 fixtures in 26 weeks with the clubs not playing every other team twice.
The situation is further complicated by the fact that some clubs have already put season tickets on sale on the basis of having 13 home fixtures.